Shereproachedherself，coloured，andlookedfearfullytowardsherfatherandmother。Sheneednothavebeenuneasy。
Therewasnosignofdispleasure，orevenofhearingher。
TheywereperfectlyfreefromanyjealousyofMansfield。
Shewasaswelcometowishherselfthereastobethere。
ItwassadtoFannytoloseallthepleasuresofspring。
Shehadnotknownbeforewhatpleasuresshe_had_toloseinpassingMarchandAprilinatown。Shehadnotknownbeforehowmuchthebeginningsandprogressofvegetationhaddelightedher。Whatanimation，bothofbodyandmind，shehadderivedfromwatchingtheadvanceofthatseasonwhichcannot，inspiteofitscapriciousness，beunlovely，andseeingitsincreasingbeautiesfromtheearliestflowersinthewarmestdivisionsofheraunt’sgarden，totheopeningofleavesofheruncle’splantations，andthegloryofhiswoods。Tobelosingsuchpleasureswasnotrifle；tobelosingthem，becauseshewasinthemidstofclosenessandnoise，tohaveconfinement，badair，badsmells，substitutedforliberty，freshness，fragrance，andverdure，wasinfinitelyworse：
buteventheseincitementstoregretwerefeeble，comparedwithwhatarosefromtheconvictionofbeingmissedbyherbestfriends，andthelongingtobeusefultothosewhowerewantingher!
Couldshehavebeenathome，shemighthavebeenofservicetoeverycreatureinthehouse。Shefeltthatshemusthavebeenofusetoall。Toallshemusthavesavedsometroubleofheadorhand；andwereitonlyinsupportingthespiritsofherauntBertram，keepingherfromtheevilofsolitude，orthestillgreaterevilofarestless，officiouscompanion，tooapttobeheighteningdangerinordertoenhanceherownimportance，herbeingtherewouldhavebeenageneralgood。Shelovedtofancyhowshecouldhavereadtoheraunt，howshecouldhavetalkedtoher，andtriedatoncetomakeherfeeltheblessingofwhatwas，andpreparehermindforwhatmightbe；
andhowmanywalksupanddownstairsshemighthavesavedher，andhowmanymessagesshemighthavecarried。
ItastonishedherthatTom’ssisterscouldbesatisfiedwithremaininginLondonatsuchatime，throughanillnesswhichhadnow，underdifferentdegreesofdanger，lastedseveralweeks。_They_mightreturntoMansfieldwhentheychose；travellingcouldbenodifficultyto_them_，andshecouldnotcomprehendhowbothcouldstillkeepaway。
IfMrs。Rushworthcouldimagineanyinterferingobligations，JuliawascertainlyabletoquitLondonwhenevershechose。
Itappearedfromoneofheraunt’slettersthatJuliahadofferedtoreturnifwanted，butthiswasall。
Itwasevidentthatshewouldratherremainwhereshewas。
FannywasdisposedtothinktheinfluenceofLondonverymuchatwarwithallrespectableattachments。
ShesawtheproofofitinMissCrawford，aswellasinhercousins；_her_attachmenttoEdmundhadbeenrespectable，themostrespectablepartofhercharacter；herfriendshipforherselfhadatleastbeenblameless。Wherewaseithersentimentnow？ItwassolongsinceFannyhadhadanyletterfromher，thatshehadsomereasontothinklightlyofthefriendshipwhichhadbeensodwelton。
ItwasweekssinceshehadheardanythingofMissCrawfordorofherotherconnexionsintown，exceptthroughMansfield，andshewasbeginningtosupposethatshemightneverknowwhetherMr。CrawfordhadgoneintoNorfolkagainornottilltheymet，andmightneverhearfromhissisteranymorethisspring，whenthefollowingletterwasreceivedtoreviveoldandcreatesomenewsensations——
“Forgiveme，mydearFanny，assoonasyoucan，formylongsilence，andbehaveasifyoucouldforgivemedirectly。
Thisismymodestrequestandexpectation，foryouaresogood，thatIdependuponbeingtreatedbetterthanIdeserve，andIwritenowtobeganimmediateanswer。IwanttoknowthestateofthingsatMansfieldPark，andyou，nodoubt，areperfectlyabletogiveit。Oneshouldbeabrutenottofeelforthedistresstheyarein；andfromwhatIhear，poorMr。Bertramhasabadchanceofultimaterecovery。
Ithoughtlittleofhisillnessatfirst。Ilookeduponhimasthesortofpersontobemadeafusswith，andtomakeafusshimselfinanytriflingdisorder，andwaschieflyconcernedforthosewhohadtonursehim；
butnowitisconfidentlyassertedthatheisreallyinadecline，thatthesymptomsaremostalarming，andthatpartofthefamily，atleast，areawareofit。
Ifitbeso，Iamsureyoumustbeincludedinthatpart，thatdiscerningpart，andthereforeentreatyoutoletmeknowhowfarIhavebeenrightlyinformed。IneednotsayhowrejoicedIshallbetoheartherehasbeenanymistake，butthereportissoprevalentthatIconfessIcannothelptrembling。Tohavesuchafineyoungmancutoffintheflowerofhisdaysismostmelancholy。
PoorSirThomaswillfeelitdreadfully。Ireallyamquiteagitatedonthesubject。Fanny，Fanny，Iseeyousmileandlookcunning，but，uponmyhonour，Ineverbribedaphysicianinmylife。Pooryoungman!Ifheistodie，therewillbe_two_pooryoungmenlessintheworld；
andwithafearlessfaceandboldvoicewouldIsaytoanyone，thatwealthandconsequencecouldfallintonohandsmoredeservingofthem。ItwasafoolishprecipitationlastChristmas，buttheevilofafewdaysmaybeblottedoutinpart。Varnishandgildinghidemanystains。
ItwillbebutthelossoftheEsquireafterhisname。
Withrealaffection，Fanny，likemine，moremightbeoverlooked。
Writetomebyreturnofpost，judgeofmyanxiety，anddonottriflewithit。Tellmetherealtruth，asyouhaveitfromthefountainhead。Andnow，donottroubleyourselftobeashamedofeithermyfeelingsoryourown。Believeme，theyarenotonlynatural，theyarephilanthropicandvirtuous。Iputittoyourconscience，whether’SirEdmund’wouldnotdomoregoodwithalltheBertrampropertythananyotherpossible’Sir。’
HadtheGrantsbeenathomeIwouldnothavetroubledyou，butyouarenowtheonlyoneIcanapplytoforthetruth，hissistersnotbeingwithinmyreach。Mrs。R。hasbeenspendingtheEasterwiththeAylmersatTwickenhamastobesureyouknow，andisnotyetreturned；
andJuliaiswiththecousinswholivenearBedfordSquare，butIforgettheirnameandstreet。CouldIimmediatelyapplytoeither，however，Ishouldstillpreferyou，becauseitstrikesmethattheyhaveallalongbeensounwillingtohavetheirownamusementscutup，astoshuttheireyestothetruth。IsupposeMrs。R。’sEasterholidayswillnotlastmuchlonger；nodoubttheyarethoroughholidaystoher。TheAylmersarepleasantpeople；
andherhusbandaway，shecanhavenothingbutenjoyment。
IgivehercreditforpromotinghisgoingdutifullydowntoBath，tofetchhismother；buthowwillsheandthedowageragreeinonehouse？Henryisnotathand，soI
havenothingtosayfromhim。DonotyouthinkEdmundwouldhavebeenintownagainlongago，butforthisillness？——
Yoursever，Mary。“
“IhadactuallybegunfoldingmyletterwhenHenrywalkedin，buthebringsnointelligencetopreventmysendingit。
Mrs。R。knowsadeclineisapprehended；hesawherthismorning：
shereturnstoWimpoleStreetto-day；theoldladyiscome。
NowdonotmakeyourselfuneasywithanyqueerfanciesbecausehehasbeenspendingafewdaysatRichmond。
Hedoesiteveryspring。Beassuredhecaresfornobodybutyou。Atthisverymomentheiswildtoseeyou，andoccupiedonlyincontrivingthemeansfordoingso，andformakinghispleasureconducetoyours。Inproof，herepeats，andmoreeagerly，whathesaidatPortsmouthaboutourconveyingyouhome，andIjoinhiminitwithallmysoul。DearFanny，writedirectly，andtellustocome。
Itwilldousallgood。HeandIcangototheParsonage，youknow，andbenotroubletoourfriendsatMansfieldPark。
Itwouldreallybegratifyingtoseethemallagain，andalittleadditionofsocietymightbeofinfiniteusetothem；
andastoyourself，youmustfeelyourselftobesowantedthere，thatyoucannotinconscience——conscientiousasyouare——
keepaway，whenyouhavethemeansofreturning。
IhavenottimeorpatiencetogivehalfHenry’smessages；
besatisfiedthatthespiritofeachandeveryoneisunalterableaffection。“
Fanny’sdisgustatthegreaterpartofthisletter，withherextremereluctancetobringthewriterofitandhercousinEdmundtogether，wouldhavemadeherasshefeltincapableofjudgingimpartiallywhethertheconcludingoffermightbeacceptedornot。
Toherself，individually，itwasmosttempting。Tobefindingherself，perhapswithinthreedays，transportedtoMansfield，wasanimageofthegreatestfelicity，butitwouldhavebeenamaterialdrawbacktobeowingsuchfelicitytopersonsinwhosefeelingsandconduct，atthepresentmoment，shesawsomuchtocondemn：
thesister’sfeelings，thebrother’sconduct，_her_cold-heartedambition，_his_thoughtlessvanity。
Tohavehimstilltheacquaintance，theflirtperhaps，ofMrs。Rushworth!Shewasmortified。Shehadthoughtbetterofhim。Happily，however，shewasnotlefttoweighanddecidebetweenoppositeinclinationsanddoubtfulnotionsofright；therewasnooccasiontodeterminewhethersheoughttokeepEdmundandMaryasunderornot。
Shehadaruletoapplyto，whichsettledeverything。